Sound Advice: Counting Crows are Here to Prove that Classic Rock is not Extinct

Counting Crows perform at Riverbend Music Center’s PNC Pavilion on June 18. Photo: Ehud Lazin

This story is featured in CityBeat’s June 14 print edition.

Every time it looks like classic rock may finally be extinct, a sonic relic from the past, some veteran band steps up and still proves its vitality and connection to rock’s vintage years. Consider the Counting Crows, who began their illustrious career in 1993 with the release of their classic debut, August and Everything After. With their dramatic arrangements, hit singles like “Mr. Jones” and “Round Here” spawned massive alternative radio success, and also demonstrated lead singer Adam Duritz’s love for rock royalty like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Van Morrison. Whether it’s Duritz’s emotionally-charged vocals, the band’s guitar jangle hooks, or the moody melodies of their rich roots-rock, something nostalgic about the Crows resonates with both older and younger generations of fans.

The underrated Somewhere Under Wonderland was the Crows’ last full-length record in 2014, but more recently, they put out EP “Butter Miracle Suite One” in 2021. Duritz discussed their last EP with Entertainment-Focus in 2022: “I hadn’t had the urge to write or put anything out for a while until then. Butter Miracle kinda caught me by surprise and I was so excited about wanting to do it.”

Despite not releasing music at the same regularity as they did in decades past, the Counting Crows still tour regularly and can be expected to play a full range of their material at their PNC Pavilion show.

Counting Crows plays the PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music Center at 7:30 p.m. June 18. Dashboard Confessional opens the show. Doors open at 6 p.m. Info: riverbend.org.

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